ideology
/ˌaɪdiˈɒlədʒi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌaɪdiˈɑːlədʒi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌī-dē-ˈä-lə-jē ˌi-dē-ˈä-/ (ame, mw)
ideology — noun
- ideologysingular
- ideologiesplural
1. A connected set of beliefs and ideas that a person, group, or political system u
A connected set of beliefs and ideas that a person, group, or political system uses as the basis for its economic or political decisions and actions.
Ishaan's political ideology led him to join the environmental campaign.
countable: a political ideology
The country's education system was rebuilt around a new ideology after the war.
uncountable: new ideology as guiding force
Putri argued that free-market ideology often fails to address inequality.
Many young voters across Europe are rejecting traditional party ideologies.
The ideology of the ruling party stresses personal effort over government help.
- doctrine
More formal and often tied to official teachings of a church or institution; ideology is broader and more commonly political.
- worldview
Broader in scope — covers a person's overall understanding of the world, not just their political or economic beliefs.
- belief system
More general and less academic; easier for learners to understand but slightly less precise.
- creed
More about personal conviction and often moral or religious; ideology is more about group-based political or economic principles.
- action
Ideology represents theory and belief; action represents what is actually done.
- pragmatism
Ideology follows fixed principles; pragmatism adapts based on what works in practice.
文法句型
the ideology of + noun
possessive + ideology
adjective + ideology
用法筆記
Countable when referring to specific belief systems (a socialist ideology, several competing ideologies). Uncountable when used as a general concept (ideology shapes policy). Frequently paired with political, economic, or revolutionary.
常見錯誤
2. Ideas or theories that are very general and not connected to practical life — of
Ideas or theories that are very general and not connected to practical life — often used to criticise someone's thinking as unrealistic or overly abstract.
Élise dismissed the professor's lecture as pure ideology with no useful suggestions.
negative connotation: pure ideology
Critics say the housing plan is built on ideology rather than actual evidence.
contrast: ideology rather than evidence
Bilal prefers examining real data and avoids getting lost in abstract ideology.
The government was accused of basing policy on ideology instead of facts.
Sora warned the committee that ideology without action would not fix the crisis.
- theorising
Less negative and more neutral; focuses on the act of forming theories rather than dismissing them.
- dogmatism
More negative — suggests refusal to consider other views, not just abstraction from reality.
- rhetoric
Focuses on persuasive language rather than abstract ideas; implies empty words rather than impractical theories.
- pragmatism
Pragmatism focuses on practical results; ideology in this sense focuses on abstract principles regardless of outcomes.
- realism
Realism is grounded in observable facts and practical limits, the opposite of abstract theorising.
文法句型
pure / mere / abstract + ideology
dismissed as + ideology
ideology rather than / instead of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable. Carries a critical or dismissive tone — the speaker implies that the ideas are disconnected from practical reality. Common in phrases like pure ideology, mere ideology, or dismissed as ideology. Do not use this sense for neutral descriptions of political beliefs.